1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the production of stable, pumpable aqueous suspensions of zeolite, and in particular synthetic zeolites, and to such stable, pumpable zeolitic suspensions, per se.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to this art to stabilize suspensions of clay. Thus, French Pat. No. 1,334,965 describes producing a suspension of clay by dispersing said clay in water containing a deflocculating agent and a thickening agent. Insofar as the thickening agent is concerned, featured are particular carbohydrates of high molecular weight.
It has also been proposed that amorphous aluminosilicate suspensions may be stabilized in like fashion (U.S. Pat. No. 3,291,626).
French Pat. No. 2,287,504 describes stabilizing suspensions of aluminosilicates by means of a dispersing agent.
To date, various additives have been proposed, the difficulty with which residing in the production of a stable suspension which does not sediment out or which does not sediment out to a substantial extent and which is also pumpable for purposes of introducing same into an atomizable lye slurry.
In order to be suitable for the latter application, the zeolite slurry must have a pH which is at most equal to 11 (expressed at 1% by weight of anhydrous zeolite) and it must have a concentration of anhydrous zeolite preferably ranging from 40 to 50%.